Experiences from a Kannadiga's kitchen, twists on traditional eats, delectable accidents and more

Ghee / Tuppa

We love the dairy products we are currently getting from udder milk creamery coop . The milk is tasty and creamy. I make butter out of the cream I skim from the milk. Sunny boy gobbles up some butter, we slather it on toasts, rottis and what ever. The remaining gets converted into Ghee- 'Tuppa'. I love ghee. We end up consuming about 3/4 to a kilo of Ghee just the three of us,if I do not make any sweets! I use it in most of my curries. Sunny boy licks it off a spoon and demands 'tuppa' with everything including Mosaranna- curd rice.

Most of my family members love ghee. My grandmother and mother made their own ghee so do I. The ones they made used to be thick and grainy. I never got similar texture or flavor when using the super market butter. But butter from pastured unprocessed milk scalded at home makes the best of ghee. Got to make it to fall in love with it.

Ghee being a saturated fat is solid at room temperature. A gentle heat
will cause it to melt away. So a dollop of ghee on warm
rottis/idlis/dosa will be perfect.

We will need,

Butter 1 lb

Turmeric a pinch

Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp

or

Garlic 1 small clove

Method:

Place the butter in a large mouthed heavy pot. Gently heat it.

Once the butter is completely melted, throw in the turmeric.

For a sweeter flavored ghee, add the fenugreek. (If ghee is to be used in the preparation of deserts and sweets) Else throw in the garlic. (This version is perfect for use in curries, Rasams and Saaru)

Cook till the butter is frothy on a medium heat.

Once the frothing subsides, reduce heat and look for the sediments at the bottom of the pot to turn golden brown. The butter itself should be clear and a golden colored liquid by now. Turn off the heat.

Filter the ghee using a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the sediments for another use. (I throw mine in curries and saaru, it is heavenly)

Store the ghee in a glass /steel jar. It stays good for at least a couple of months. (May be long, it never does in my place).

Well, it is quite difficult to answer the question. In fact different butters call for different duration of time, the shortest being the super market butter, followed by organic butter and then the pastured grass fed butter. It also depends so much on the thickness of the pot used to make ghee and the stove. So I have no answer for this question :( The best way to make sure we do not burn the ghee is making sure that the sediments are turning golden brown at the bottom and the bubbling has stopped. When in doubt cut out the heat and take a call later once the pot is cool